O’Neill Giving Crescenta Valley Shot It Needed

If you’ve checked the area Southern Section boys’ basketball scoring leaders lately, you’ve probably asked, “Who the heck is Richard O’Neill?” So, as a public service, here goes:

Name: O’Neill, Richard. School: Crescenta Valley High. Class: Senior. Position: Guard. Height: 6-0. Scouting report: Shooter.

That last part is the most important. Even O’Neill has surprised himself with the way he has been able to score in this, his first and last season as a varsity starter.

O’Neill, who played only a couple of minutes a game for the Falcons’ Division II-AA semifinalist of a season ago, is averaging 23.9 points. He has slipped from the 25-a-night range because of flu-influenced 13- and 12-point performances last week, but he still leads the team.

“I didn’t expect to score as much as I have this year,” O’Neill said. “(For the junior varsity team), I was only scoring about 15 or 14 (per game).”

O’Neill, a dangerous three-point shooter, said Crescenta Valley Coach John Goffredo told him during the summer he needed to count on him for about 18 points a game this season, but when starters Brock Jacobsen, Blake Jacobson and Mike Greco went down with injuries in the preseason, that changed.

“He told me I had to step up my game,” O’Neill said.

So, in his first game of the season, he scored 41 points against El Rancho. His previous high in a varsity game was 11.

“I was relaxed out there and my stroke was on,” O’Neill said. “I just kept getting open shots and I just kept shooting.”

He hasn’t stopped since.

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Valley boy makes . . . noise: Former Cleveland boys’ basketball Coach Marc Paez made news Wednesday when his Banning team’s game against Crenshaw was stopped with 4 minutes 45 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Paez was ejected and didn’t have a paid assistant to take over.

The Cougars led, 54-14, at the time, and Paez had been charged with three technical fouls. He said he was complaining about the officiating but later admitted he also was frustrated because Crenshaw, the defending state champion, continues to dominate its City Section opponents.

“It’s sort of like beating your head against a wall,” said Paez, whose Cleveland team lost to Crenshaw in the 4-A semifinals in 1990.

“I don’t mind losing. You win some games and lose some games and you become accustomed to certain things. I’m just a little frustrated with rules enforcement in the L.A. City.”

Was he talking about Crenshaw’s alleged rules violations regarding transfers?

“I don’t want to be that specific,” he said.

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OT, baby: Excuse Paraclete boys’ basketball Coach Andy Gavel if his stomach is a little upset. Gavel had to watch his team squeak out two overtime victories last week.

“The kids are trying to figure out how they can top themselves,” Gavel said. “They don’t pay me enough for this.”

Friday night, Bishop’s Mario Gutierrez was at the line for two free throws with the score tied and no time on the clock. A sure loss for Paraclete, right? He missed both.

“Don’t ask me why,” Gavel said, “but God smiled on us.”

The Spirits won, 73-71, in overtime when Vinny Pagan stole the ball and passed it to Ruffin Crozat, who made a basket while being fouled with three seconds left.

On Tuesday, Paraclete’s John Birk put in an offensive rebound at the buzzer to send a game against Silver Valley into overtime. The Spirits won that one, 73-70.

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Glass eater: Monroe senior Dimara Haymond is only 6-feet tall, but don’t get between her and a rebound.

“She is on a personal crusade for rebounds,” Coach Bryant Ching said. “She doesn’t like to be beaten individually.”

Haymond is averaging 18.3 rebounds. In the past two games, Haymond has grabbed 44 rebounds, including 18 to go along with 19 points in Friday night’s victory over Grant.

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One-man show: At some point early in L.A. Baptist’s game against Marshall Fundamental on Friday night, someone on the Marshall Fundamental bench must have asked, “Who’s supposed to be guarding LaPack?”

Landon LaPack, L.A. Baptist’s senior guard, scored his team’s first 21 points in its 79-53 Alpha League victory. By the time one of his teammates scored, late in the first quarter, the score was 21-6.

LaPack, who finished with 33 points, made 12 of 15 shots from the field and all five of his three-point attempts.

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Good coaching: With Bell-Jeff and St. Genevieve deadlocked and nine seconds to play in regulation Friday night, Bell-Jeff Coach Steve Wahl didn’t have a brilliant play to draw up during the timeout--just get the ball upcourt quickly and we’ll see what happens, he told his players.

Junior Joe Adriano dribbled through the Valiants’ press and swished an off-balance 25-foot shot at the buzzer, giving Bell-Jeff a much-needed 76-73 victory at Alemany High.

“It wasn’t a great shot,” Wahl said, “but it went in, so that’s all that counts. We’ve been a little unlucky, so we deserved some luck.”

Besides dealing with flu that has affected nearly every team in the area, Wahl had to find a way to replace his top scorer, Dan Mancinelli, for five games while he was out because of a broken hand. Mancinelli scored 31 on Friday.

Not that it has anything to do with luck, but Bell-Jeff (6-10, 1-2 in Camino Real League play) also has been distracted by players missing practices. Wahl twice has suspended groups of players for unexcused absences from practice.